LoJ: #630 (Pre-LiDAR #637) / 13,006' UN 13006 Formerly UN 13001

This hike begins from the east end of the Lost Man Trail at the switchback just before the final gain to the summit of Independence Pass. We're calling this trailhead the "Roaring Fork River" TH.

From the trailhead at highway 82, head north up the well used trail #1996 that goes to Independence Lake, following along the creek. In a short distance, a trail forks to the left, just after crossing a creek, that leads up to Linkins Lake. Don't turn onto that one. Continue on up valley, following the trail which crosses back to the east side of the creek after a while. This trail passes through many willows. The old trail on the west side of the creek that the USGS map shows going to a pass between the two Geissler peaks is no longer in use. Continue hiking along the main trail with plenty more willows. Eventually, you'll get out of most of the willows as you approach Independence Lake. This upper basin is a vast tundra-filled bowl. If not for all the human traffic, it would probably host a large elk herd.

Continue north on the trail past Independence Lake to the pass, which we call "Lost Man Pass." Drop down on the other side toward Lost Man Lake. You might as well hike all the way down to the lake, because a tongue of a rock glacier coming off UN13,366 (unranked) extends down into the valley and prevents contouring across the valley east of Lost Man Lake unless you enjoy rock-hopping your way across such things. Continue past the lake and drop another 200 feet and then depart the trail and head toward the saddle between UN13,006 and unranked UN13,150. Hike up to the saddle on mostly tundra with some minor rock. At the saddle, turn and head NW up along the ridge crest.

Once at the saddle, things turn a little more interesting. As you hike north along the ridge, you'll encountered large, block type rock formations to negotiate. This makes an otherwise boring hike kind of interesting a few times as you clamber around these great blocks and avoided small cliffs. As you near the summit, you may find yourself slipping well below the ridge to avoid some obstacles. In fact, we came up to the summit from directly south of it for the very last portion. The summit itself is a rocky affair with a large cairn and not any comfortable places to sit except on some of the tilted boulders.

While visiting here, you can observe the many hikers on the trail below or gaze off toward the Williams Mountains and plan your next climb there, if you have not already done them. For the descent, you can head straight south off the summit by going down a steep, tundra and scree-like slope that will allow quick descent to an attractive group of small ponds with lush, green grass that reminded us of a golf course. We made this descent in 15 minutes. Pick up the Lost Man Trail, hike back up to Lost Man Lake, back over the pass and the remaining two miles back to your vehicle.